A POLICEMAN who snorted cocaine and took tranquillisers has been spared jail.

David Cooper, 47, admitting taking the drugs after being off sick from his job as a Pc with Greater Manchester Police, Bolton magistrates heard.

Cooper, a policeman for 28 years, was offered cocaine at a party as a "pick-me-up".

The divorced father-of-three had been off work after being diagnosed with an ulcer and thickening of the blood but the court was told he had to return to work when he was still unwell because his sick pay was running out.

He took the drug at the party and began snorting cocaine but never while on duty, Richard Black, defending, said.

Retired

Cooper retired from the force in July. He will lose é50,000, half his police pension, and was living in a police house which he will now have to leave, Mr Black said.

He is also about to be declared bankrupt, with debts of around é30,000.

Cooper, from Spring Avenue, Hyde, pleaded guilty to seven counts of possessing cocaine, two charges of possessing Diazepam and one of possessing Temazepam.

He also admitted five offences under the Data Protection Act, for accessing the police computer to look up the background of friends of his daughter.

He was arrested after an internal investigation.

Graham Darby, chairman of the bench, conditionally discharged him for 12 months.